Sister Sessions

Discover Kim Somerville's insights on agency benchmarking, female founders, and sustainable success in this Women in Agencies episode.How do you measure success as a creative agency founder beyond headcount and turnover? In this episode, Beth chats with Kim Somerville, co-founder of Agency by Agency, about benchmarking your agency against industry-wide data to find both sustainability and joy in how you do business. Drawing from her own experiences leading agencies and working client-side in the charity sector, Kim shares why access to reliable, non self-reported data is empowering agency leaders—especially women—in making informed decisions.  Highlights include:- The current state of the UK's agency landscape with over 25,000 agencies mapped- Why 27% of UK agencies founded by women is worth celebrating—but why we need more- What defines micro and small agencies and their £1.3B contribution to the economy- The “sweet spot” in agency size for growth and agility- Why data is critical for setting your own benchmarks, not just chasing revenue goals Want more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

What does it really take to thrive in agency life as a parent, a woman, and a leader? In this powerful Sister Sessions episode, host from Women in Agencies sits down with Ellie Hale, Partnerships Director at Reflect Digital and founder of Agency Land. With honesty and humour, Ellie dives into the realities of agency work, motherhood, and building more compassionate and diverse workplaces.Key topics covered:- Why agency cultures need more than box-ticking on policies- The pressure and pitfalls of the 'build to sell' agency model- Navigating miscarriage, fertility, and maternity experiences courageously- How Reflect Digital and Agency Land are championing transparency and inclusion in the marketing space- Advice for agency founders on building authentic support systemsWant more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

How do you grow an agency from scratch while staying visible as a founder? In this relaxed but insight-packed episode, we sit down with Ellie from Sage, a content and social agency that has quickly made a name for itself in the organic marketing space.Ellie shares how she launched the agency in 2024 after years as an in-house marketing lead, and how she’s now managing rapid growth, client work and team building while still showing up with a strong personal brand.We cover:- How her personal brand on LinkedIn generated 90% of her early clients- What founders can do when they have “no time and no content”- Building systems, hiring early team members and learning to say “we” not “I”- The value of repurposing content for scale while staying on-message- Agency collaborations, red flags, and the power of not seeing others as competitionEllie’s honesty about the scrappy early days and the mindset shifts that come with growth make this episode a must-listen for anyone growing a service-led agency.Want more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

What does it really take to scale a successful agency? In this episode of the Women and Agencies podcast, Emily Hatton, a business operations consultant, breaks down the practical strategies founders can use to grow their agencies more sustainably. Drawing on her experience helping agencies through growth phases, Emily shares what’s often missing behind the scenes of successful businesses.In this conversation, we cover:- Key growth pinch points for agencies at team sizes of 10 and 25- The role of founders versus operations specialists in sustaining growth- Common mistakes around hiring, people management, and financial planning- Why scorecards and tracking KPIs are essential — even for solo founders- Unique challenges faced by female founders in business developmentWhether you're running a lean team or looking to scale, this episode is packed with actionable insight.Want more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

How can marketing agency leaders use AI to improve client outcomes, team efficiency, and business sustainability? In this episode of the Women in Agencies podcast, we sit down with agency founder Mary Anne Da Marzo to explore exactly that. Known for her hands-on digital expertise and content creation background, Mary Anne shares practical strategies and personal stories that shaped her journey from startup to streamlined success.Covered in this episode:- How Mary Anne built her agency from scratch by learning from 30 other agency pitches- Lessons from sales brutality, cold calling, and early career resilience- Where and how AI creates real value across client delivery and internal ops- How her custom GPTs boost content creation, reporting and performance- Why running a smaller, profitable agency can be a strategic choice, not a limitationWant more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

What happens after you sell the agency you built from scratch? In this episode of the Women in Agencies podcast, Liz shares her journey from launching a video game-focused creative agency to selling it to a global group and finding a new path in marketing leadership. With 20+ years in the video games space, Liz offers a wealth of insight on agency growth and strategic exit planning.Here’s what we cover:- Starting a specialised agency in the male-dominated world of gaming marketing- Building profitability and defining niche services for long-term success- The emotional and operational reality of selling your business- Transitioning from agency owner to in-house marketing lead- The importance of agency networks and coaching when scalingIf you're thinking about growth, exit plans, or long-term sustainability, Liz’s story is packed with practical takeaways.Want more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

What does it really take to run effective PPC campaigns in today’s fast-changing landscape? In this episode of the Women in Agencies podcast, we sit down with Sadie, Marketing Manager at Creative Pod, to explore the ins and outs of pay-per-click strategy and reporting from an agency perspective.Sadie shares her journey into agency life, her love of PPC, and the importance of patience, budget, and clear client communication. We also get into:- Practical onboarding and strategy-setting for new PPC clients- How Creative Pod approaches reporting and client transparency- Pros and cons of automating vs manually managing PPC dashboards- Navigating Google’s ongoing changes and the impact of AI- Why PPC can be a game-changer for performance-led campaignsWant more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk

What makes a great client journey from onboarding to offboarding? In this episode of the Women in Agencies podcast – Sister Sessions, we speak with Amiee, Head of Communications at Manchester-based digital agency DMT. With years of agency growth behind her, Amy dives deep into the systems, processes, and lessons learned from working across every touchpoint of the client journey.Listen in as we explore:- Why a strong onboarding process is essential for long-term retention- How DMT navigates difficult client offboarding with grace and honesty- The impact of COVID-era growth and how it shaped team culture- How agencies can offer flexible packages in challenging markets- The comms tactics that support client trust and internal alignmentAmy also shares a dramatic (and surprisingly successful) tale of tracking stolen company laptops with the help of TikTok tote bags.Want more support? Join Women in Agencies – womeninagencies.co.uk